ALA Report: Poor Middle, High School Libraries Suffer the Most Budget Cuts http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/890148-312/ala_report_poor_middle_high.html.csp Closing most Cobb libraries not realistic http://www.ajc.com/opinion/closing-most-cobb-libraries-906121.html ALA: 2011 State of America's Libraries Report [pdf] http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries2011/index.cfm The Most Criticized Books! A Handy List From Your Library http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/11/135316133/the-most-criticized-books-a-handy-list-from-your-library @Your Library http://www.atyourlibrary.org/ It's National Library Week, and libraries around the United States have much to celebrate. More and more patrons are coming in to their area libraries to check out e-books, read the newspapers, search for jobs online, and to take advantage of unique programs, such as special presentations and concerts. Flush times indeed, but along with rising patronage, public libraries are also facing major cutbacks in terms of funding. This week, the American Library Association (ALA) released its annual "State of America's Libraries" report, and there were a number of troubling signs within its pages. Perhaps the most troubling revelation was that middle and high school libraries in high poverty areas of the US suffered average spending cuts on information resources and collection size of 25.5 percent. The report also noted that total library staff hours declined across the United States, but there was an average increase of 0.8 hours per week among certified school librarians. While most observers tend to agree that libraries will continue to serve as important community gathering centers in the future, it remains to be seen what will be contained within their walls 10 or 20 years in the future. The first link will take visitors to a recent piece of reporting from National Public Radio (NPR) about the future of libraries, with specific reference to the growing popularity of e-books. The second link leads to a piece from the School Library Journal about the budgets cuts among libraries in high poverty areas. Moving on, the third link will whisk users away to an opinion piece by writer Margaret Johnson-Hodge about the importance of libraries in Cobb County, Georgia. The fourth link leads to the full text of the 2011 State of America's Libraries Report from the ALA. The fifth link leads to a report from NPR on the most frequently challenged books of 2010. This list includes titles such as "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins. Finally, the last link leads to the homepage of the Campaign for America's Libraries, which provides information on local libraries, recommended books and music, and information on their mission and work.